Instagram Develops Into Career Path For Photographers

Hear the term Instagramer, and you probably envision teenagers taking endless selfies or diners obsessively snapping pics of their meals. You’re less likely to think of someone like Chris Ozer (@chrisozer), an up-and-coming commercial photographer whose clients include Nike, Johnnie Walker and . Yet, for Ozer, and a growing number of  social media-savvy photographers, Instagram is more than just a creative outlet. It’s become a launching pad to lucrative work with top brands eager to connect with Instagram’s audience.  Carli Kiene (@inkedfingers) was, in her words, “just another Austin photographer” shooting weddings and portraits with her husband and business partner when she joined Instagram in 2010. After being highlighted on the app’s Suggested Users list, Carli’s following rocketed into the thousands (she now has more than 220,000). It wasn’t long before . came calling, wanting to use her images on their own social media feed. Today, a significant portion of Carli’s income is from advertising clients, an avenue she never explicitly pursued.  The commercial work, “can be very lucrative,” says Carli. “Today’s rates for social media campaigns are about three times higher than what we could get even a couple of years ago. I’m able to pay off my student loans.” But what’s even better, she emphasizes, is the artistic freedom that comes with the assignments. “With social media there’s no art director involved. We get 100% creative control because the brands are coming to us for our style. They pay money and say, ‘I want your vision.’ That’s every artist’s dream.”